A Tale of Two Teams (Or, The Four Horsemen of the Football Apocalypse)

This is a tale of two teams.

It is a tale of the Packers and... the Chiefs. It is a tale of the Patriots and... the Chiefs. It is a tale of the Ravens and... the Chiefs. It is just as much a tale of the Steelers and... the Chiefs.

Before I commence, here is my post about yesterday's debacle. This post here is really an addendum to that. New stuff, but still kind of the same stuff. The same therapy-oriented stuff. Yeah. I'm with you. ::Siiiigh::...

Since 1989 when the Chiefs started a run of playoff appearances that any team would covet, 15 in all, (7 in the 90s, 6 so far this decade with another likely this year) under the tutelage of three Hall-of-Fame head coaches, those other four teams just mentioned have 12 Super Bowl titles. They've got a half-dozen or so other Super Bowl appearances and many great playoff victories. Each one of those teams individually have, really, had not many more playoff appearances than the Chiefs have over that time period. (Just FYI, the Patriots have had 20 appearances in that time. Just not that many more than the Chiefs...)

My point is the Chiefs have been, for the most part, just as dominant as those teams have over those years and -- with the exception of some thrilling games and fun wins and fine play by excellent players for which we should all be very proud --

Have nothing to show for it.

The reason I bring up those particular teams is just to point out what they've done recently. Right now, yet again, all are playing winning football. But some things they have done that the Chiefs haven't done demonstrate why those teams will continue to win into the postseason and the Chiefs -- well...

• Yesterday the Packers took care of business against a team they should have taken care of business against, the Panthers. They won 24-16. I know little about that game, but whatever happened, they took care of business in a close affair. Look back at two weeks ago when the Chiefs played the Packers, were down by 7 and punted the ball away on 4th-&-3 with, what, about 4 minutes left, and never saw the ball again. The Packers just took care of business and made the 1st downs like they were supposed to late in that game.

• Yesterday the Patriots did not play, had a bye, but with the exception of a few random slip-ups -- that crazy last second pass-and-pitch play the Dolphins had to beat them last year comes to mind -- the Patriots take care of business. All the time. Do you remember in 1996 when Sports Illustrated predicted a Chiefs-Packers Super Bowl? Well, the Packers made it -- against the Patriots. The Chiefs didn't even make the playoffs. I'm kinda thinking the same thing will happen this year, Patriots-Packers -- sadly after all the rabid talk through the year about the Chiefs being a Super Bowl shoe-in.

• Yesterday the Ravens destroyed the Bengals -- I mention this because the Chiefs should have destroyed the Titans yesterday. Point being, the Ravens took care of business early and often, just like the Chiefs should have. I truly fear meeting the Ravens again in the playoffs. That quarterback they have, Lamar Jackson, is getting better and better -- and right now, I'm sorry but he'd have a field day carving up our soft-butter defense.

• Yesterday the Steelers were ahead of a fine Rams team 17-12, and with a couple of minutes left, plenty of time in the NFL, the Rams had the ball just needing to score that touchdown -- and sure enough, the Steelers got the stop. Yesterday the Chiefs had a Titans team way not-as-good as the Rams in the exact same predicament and we let them score a touchdown -- we made it look so easy for them. The Steelers meant business. We didn't.

This is the tale of two teams.

Two teams: the Chiefs and any one of those other teams, teams who don't have any more talent than the Chiefs have, or even have had, annnnnd...

Well, really, you know the story. Yesterday's set of games was just another chapter in the saga.

To give Andy Reid credit, to give all the players credit, yesterday's game just seemed like yet another time we just got hammered by the Four Horsemen of the Football Apocalypse. Yes every team goes through it, they do, they get the worst visits from the Four Horsemen. I know. It's just... the Chiefs. As good a team as they have, it's just... you know.

What are the Four Horsemen? You know what they are:

Turnovers. We'll start with that one. This year the turnovers have killed us, when we've always seemed to be the ones who take advantage of them the most. In the Colts game LeSean McCoy's fumble. Critical. In the Texans game another fumble by McCoy. Critical. Yesterday the one that stood out was Damien Williams' fumble they returned for a touchdown. We're up 10-0 easily driving for another score and that happens. And it is also the turnovers we're not getting. Frank Clark not making that easy pick-six is the best example. We even were blessed with a poor call getting a turnover when their QB lost the ball but did pin it to his side, had possession, but we swooped in and took it -- the officials gave it to us when they shouldn't have. Even when an official makes the wrong call in our favor do we end up losing.

Penalties. The 1st half penalties were crushing. Again, this is legitimately on Andy Reid. We cleaned it up in the 2nd half, but still, instead of being ahead 28-3 at the half, as we should have been, the game was tied 13-13. Please. One of those penalties was an illegal pick by Tyreek Hill he didn't have to make, negating a touchdown pass reception by Travis Kelce. Instead of 7 we got 3. This is not even to mention the intentional grounding by Dustin Colquitt. A splendidly skilled placeholder for years and years and years, he commits a penalty like that at the totally completely thoroughly wrong time, one that gave the Titans a much shorter field to aid them in scoring the winning touchdown. Such is the Chiefs...

Injuries. This is just the breaks of the game, I know, but still. All of us have had visions of Super Bowl glory dancing in our heads all year long -- but of course there isn't a Chiefs fan who doesn't add the thought as long as we stay healthy. And the Patrick Mahomes injury isn't even the worst of it. What is really debilitating is both our offensive and defensive lines have been devastated by injuries this year. Emmanuel Ogbah has been terrific, he's out for the year. Alex Okafor had been out for weeks. Chris Jones was out for a while. Frank Clark is playing injured. Over on the O-line we've been clobbered. I won't go into all the gruesome details, but the worst is having Eric Fisher out for so long and squinting every time we have to watch Cam Erving try to block out there. So yeah, ::Errghck:: -- that it could happen that we'd just have one good year when injuries don't hurt us too much. ::Sigh:: Guess not.

Crushing calls. Both from the officials or our own coach. About halfway into the 3rd quarter of this one I actually thought -- seriously, I actually did think, "Damn. Three of the Four Horsemen have been killing us today. I'm sure that fourth one will rear its ugly head in the 4th quarter sometime."

Yep. It did.

In the Chiefs Game Today blog post yesterday I pointed out how agonizing it is to once again watch Andy Reid fail to close out a game in the 4th quarter. Now please, it must be said again. I don't mind emphasizing it: there is no question Andy Reid will always be revered, for good reason. He will always hold a cherished place in the annals of Chiefs Kingdom History. That's a given, he deserves it, nobody will ever dislike him.

But just as sure, for Andy Reid not to make the right calls to get that 1st down at that time we had the ball in Titans territory with under two minutes left and a five-point lead was -- well, I covered it in that last blog post, and I've already regaled everyone with the searing agony of watching all the time a Packers or a Patriots or a Ravens or a Steelers do what Reid should be doing. Please, I'm not even saying I'd do better, I'm not Monday morning quarterbacking. I don't know what Reid should have done. Still, again, if those other coaches are doing it, whatever it is, why isn't Reid?

So that's Andy Reid. What about the officiating calls that so often devastate us in the most mind-numbing ways?

I do hear until I'm deaf "The calls even out." For the most part the officials did fine yesterday. But dammit don't tell me about officiating evening out when that Titans rusher was clearly offsides at the end of the game to block our field goal attempt. Yes I'm 1,000% with you that it never should have gotten to that point if Andy Reid knew how to manage the last two minutes of a game. Still, yeah -- no, the guy was offsides and no trying to spout about how he timed his jump just right changes that. No ridiculous official proclamation from the NFL that it was the correct call changes that. If that guy was not offsides then neither was Dee Ford in that playoff game last season.

The Four Horsemen just can't cease attacking the Chiefs in the most brutal ways. And yesterday -- ::Ouch::

I will add a positive here, and it is that we are still in position to at least get into the playoffs. That's not a bad thing. We'd like to think Andy Reid is learning, and even with my doubts we can hope that he is. We'd also like to hope that with Reid being the player's coach that he is that the players themselves won't get too down on his inability to close games for them. Maybe the Mahomes-esque inspiration and leadership will power up in the hearts of these guys and they can take care of business through the rest of the season.

We have several games against division rivals coming up and Reid always seems to do better against them, for good reason. That's cool.

Here's to seeing these afflictions just making our players, and Reid himself, stronger and better as we finish the regular season and maybe even watch them make that stout playoff run we've always been hoping they'd have.
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Chiefs at Titans - Week 10 - Record: 6-4

This was definitely a game we simply could not afford to lose. It always seems to be like that when we play the Titans.

Opening game, 2014. We lose to a thoroughly lousy Titans team that would go on to win only one more game the entire season. We miss the playoffs by one game. That was the game we could not afford to lose. That very first game of that season, that was the blow-it -- a season that later featured a complete thrashing of the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots. Go figure. (Well, we now figure, that's what this post is all about.)

Playoff game, 2017 season. We're up 21-3 at halftime to a very mediocre Titans team, and somehow find a way to lose 22-21.

Today, it was just as ugly. Just as typically ugly. Right now I feel the way I did during the middle of that 2017 season when we had a stretch of games against not-that-great New York state teams, remember that? The Giants then the Bills then the Jets -- a season we were playing great, buuut we lost them all. And sure enough at that time I had the opportunity to do exactly what I'm going to do now, although I truly believe it is still just as justified as it was back then.

Share my standard Andy Reid what-the-hell-are-you-doing rant.

Here is this version. It isn't a whole lot different than the others, but I reeeally don't think there aren't quite a lot of us who share these sentiments.

I really do not believe the Chiefs will ever win a Super Bowl with Andy Reid at head coach.

Yes we've all had these thoughts before, but they always seem to be muted by the times we watch him do his playmaking and his management of the team as a player's coach. We behold how wonderful he is at those things and simply brush off any detractions.

But sure enough, what happened today was inexcusable, and sure enough it was yet another one of those "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Fool my thrice shame on me some more. Fool me four times it is ridiculously shameful. Fool me five times is shamefully criminal. Fool me..." I really think we're up to about 23 times of being fooled, to be honest with you. All Chiefs fans should be serving life sentences for the most feloniously shameful foolishness.

Here's why, for the 57 thousandth time.

Reid cannot manage things at the end of a game.

Sure we have Patrick Mahomes. Sure we have Tyreek Hill. Sure we have ___ (any of all the other playmakers we have). But when we need the head coach to make that one call that will win us the game because WE'RE TRYING TO WIN THE GAME DAMMIT AND NOT TRYING TO JUST NOT LOSE -- it gets really gruesome.

Here's the evidence. This year we've lost all four of our games by a touchdown or less. Does that sound familiar? It should. The Chiefs have lost eight straight playoff games decided by a touchdown or less. Thing is, Reid is responsible for five of them. Sorry, but there were definitely things that could have happened with the sideline judgment that would have avoided:

A 1-point loss to Indianapolis after the 2013 season when were ahead 38-10 in the 3rd quarter.

A 7-point loss to New England (2015) when Reid was just outcoached by Belichick again. (Reid's 4th quarter management of the 2004 season's Super Bowl was abysmal.)

A 2-point loss to Pittsburgh (2016) when the opponent did not score a single touchdown the entire game.

A 1-point loss to Tennessee (2017) when we scored zero points in the 2nd half.

A 6-point loss in OT to New England (2018) when Reid was just flat outcoached by Belichick YET AGAIN.

In this game we were up 29-20 early in the 4th quarter, right after Mecole Hardman's streak to the endzone after a terrific pass from Mahomes. It should have been over at that point. We should have been "putting the hammer down" then. Up by nine with 11 minutes left.

And sorry, not getting the job done was on Reid.

So, note to Andy Reid, a reminder for about the 83rd time: "Step it up and be a clutch leader. Lead this team to win, don't just stuff your face in a play sheet to not-lose." ::Sigh:: To be honest I really don't think he will ever do that.

This game is just another brick in the wall. So here's the bottom line. I reeeally hope Clark and Brett are paying attention. I think every Chiefs fan feels this way. Again, I've seen nothing online or on the twittersphere or anywhere, but I know it.

Here's what's what:

Andy Reid, there is no excuse for you to being doing this, none. You have one of the most phenomenal offenses ever in the NFL. Yes today we had stupid turnovers (well, really, just one, but it was really costly as it was returned for a touchdown). Yes we had unfortunate injuries (but fortunately people like Tyreek Hill and Mitchell Schwartz came back in). Yes we had a slough of penalties (but that, really, is on you anyway because this team is simply not disciplined enough, it really isn't). Yes our special teams fell apart at the end of the game (but why are we relying on them so much in instances when it looked like they were frantically trying to make up for situations that shouldn't exist anyway?)

See the issue is with this talent and your playmaking we should've been ahead 21-0 in the 1st quarter. By the middle of the 4th quarter we should have had a comfortable 49-27 lead. Even with the rotten stuff there - is - no - excuse. With this team with this talent?

And we're frnckgckngcking 6-4???

So, here it is. Even with all of that, you can rectify that with one more valiant attempt to get the critical 4th quarter call right. Please, we beg you. Please, in the 4th quarter rally the troops to go for the jugular. To take no prisoners. That last series when we had the ball in Titans territory, up by 5 with a little under two minutes left? Super Bowl teams make the 1st down and send us home happy, especially against a team we moved the ball against pretty much at will all afternoon.

Instead it looked like everyone out there on the field was just expecting us to lose. I'm sorry but it just did, and that comes directly from your obsession with NOT-LOSING. I mean, please, today's 4th quarter was a collapse of epic proportions, it really was.

I wonder. Mahomes had 446 passing yards today. Really, how many quarterbacks with over 440 passing yards have ever lost an NFL football game? I'd say a few, but I know it isn't many, in all the annals of NFL history I'd bet it is very few. We had twice as much yardage as the Titans, and still lost. We had twice as much time of possession, and still lost. We got 1st down after 1st down by barely trying, yet couldn't seem to get one when we needed it because you played --- to --- not --- lose.

Well, let's just say this, from every Chiefs fan on the planet.

Go for it Andy Reid. You have our wholehearted support: win the Super Bowl this year. And please, you will have no excuses if you don't, not with this talent, not with your -- granted it is extraordinary -- playmaking ability. There is no excuse.

But we promise you, all of us know as much as we know the sky is blue and the sun is hot: you will at some point HAVE to make a critically beneficial 4th quarter call that will win us a game by a close score. You will, guaranteed.

If you do, we will screech with joy and we will want to carry you off the field with all the well-deserved accolades. We've got you. You're there. Way to go.

But if -- okay, this is for Clark and Brett -- if Andy doesn't, then see-ya, and let's see Eric Bieniemy in at head coach. He's already got all the Reid playmaking stuff in his hands, working with him for so long, and then, and then, not only do we get that but we get a coach who -- let's hope -- will...

Ahem...

PLAY ----- TO ----- WIN.
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Vikings at Chiefs - Week 9 - Record: 6-3

For whatever you can say about our very very very bendy defense, they did come through at the very tail end of the game when we needed it.

With the score tied at 23 all, the Vikings had the ball with a bit over two minutes left in the game. And wouldn't you know it. We got a three-&-out. And it wasn't just any three-&-out, it was a dominating one. One play that stood out was Daniel Sorensen's smothering of a swing pass for a loss on 2nd down, especially significant since the Chiefs were abjectly miserable stopping the screen pass all day long.

What can you say about our offense. My word, will it be nice when we get Patrick back. Again, again again again, nothing against Matt Moore. He's done wonderfully, he really has. But those weapons on offense we have.

Tyreek Hill being Superman all over the field, I mean the guy is a phenomenal football player. Our first touchdown was a leaping grab after which he kept his feet under him to propel him into the endzone.

Sammy Watkins with one-handed snatches all over the place. I've always considered the time Watkins missed because of that hamstring injury was a blow to our offense against teams like the Colts and Texans.

Travis Kelce being stout and getting a long clutch reception late to get us into field goal range for Butker to win it.

And Damien Williams. Reid started McCoy, but I wonder how long he is with the team. I hope he's around and they don't just jettison him -- we may need him later -- but it is clear Williams has shown he's the cream of our running core. His 91-yard sprint was a thing of beauty. After a superb weave through the line he turned on the afterburners. When Tyreek joined him as he neared the endzone it looked like the US Olympic track team finishing a close one-&-two in the 400 meter, sweet.

Our run defense did okay actually, but again, there were just too many times we got caught out of position, pursuing too ferociously taking us out of plays. Maybe this is just a by-product of Spagnuolo's defensive scheme, because there were times we made major clutch plays. If you can believe it we held their terrific back Dalvin Cook to under 100 rushing.

It was nice to see this team show they've got some ganas and rise to the occasion late to take this one.
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Packers at Chiefs - Week 8 - Record: 5-3, Part II

I simply cannot go to bed late at night here without adding this note about tonight's game. I thought I'd do something I'd never done before, just to see. I typed in my search box "Andy Reid 4th & 3." Sure enough I got a twitter-storm of revulsion against Reid's call to punt late in the game tonight.

Completely, wholly justified revulsion.

I rarely look at social media for this kind of thing, I am not much for Twitter. But in cases like this it does instantly provide some kind of idea of what a few people are thinking about regarding something like this. Sure enough, I am just as frustrated with Andy Reid as the rest of the Kingdom. What do you do with someone like that?

He is a genius playmaker. His offense has the best pro football weapons in the universe. Matt Moore is not a great quarterback -- please, no offense, his pro football acumen has served him very well with this offense, kudos to him for that -- but Moore has weapons at his fingertips like he has never seen before. Tyreek Hill alone had the Packers totally on their heels tonight, as a feature of their game plan.

So yeah, I did very prominently think one of the key things I saw tonight in that tweet-storm of exasperation: We all know why Andy Reid has no rings.

Really. He just doesn't have the balls. The Chiefs have had just as good a team as the Patriots for years now, and in that time -- while Reid's been in KC -- Bill Belichick has three rings. It is simple. It is because he knows how to go for the jugular with what he has and he has always done that.

Here's the thing. Maybe Reid'll finally learn from this. Maybe he'll finally finally finally rise up and make a good, solid, bold, courageous decision late in a critical playoff game that actually does get us the dubya in a game decided by a touchdown or less. He absolutely must because, here's the main thing. When you think about it, not only does this one single move cost us this game, not only does it show us that he still hasn't learned -- but probably the worst thing of all is the message it sent to all those amazing players on offense.

I really really really hurt for the Kingdom right now thinking about what Hill, and Watkins, and Kelce, now this phenomenal rookie Hardman, and all the other fine offensive players are thinking -- Damien Williams even, who came in and played lights out football in the 2nd half. What they are thinking right now feeling that their coach can't trust them to do what his already splendid playmaking is helping them make happen.

I don't know. I wasn't going to be too upset that we lost this game as the Packers are pretty good and we're just waiting for Patrick to return. That's cool.

But this -- this is still just really disconcerting, it really is.

It always has been.
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Packers at Chiefs - Week 8 - Record: 5-3

We actually could have won this game, really, if Andy Reid's decision-making at the end of the game was not what it typically can be to derail our chances. We have an offense that is lights-out, and he decides to put the game's outcome in the hands of a very bendy defense that cannot afford to be bendy at the most crucial time. That a bit later.

First, to be a bit positive, some really good things about our team:

Its playmaking. The Reid way has got defenses scrambling and with our playmakers, these guys showed again tonight they can do great damage. The Packers plan on defense was to essentially play on their heels. A great example of this was the play at the beginning of the 2nd quarter when everyone was moving around in the backfield after the snap, leaving Kelce wide open down the field to catch a lofted pass for a TD.

I also really like Steve Spagnuolo being aggressive with our defense. He blitzed often enough to rattle Rodgers, if you can do it against one of the best QBs ever, you should! We sacked him something like five times tonight. Ragland and Hitchens have picked up the run defense at least a little.

The not-so-good things: We're still not pursuing with assertiveness! It isn't about tackling -- it is about hitting our marks with at least some sense of purpose! The touchdown that ended up winning it for the Packers was just a weave job by their guy all the way to the end zone. Add to that our defensive line still can't get a good enough push when we need it.

You also cannot fumble on the first play after the defense has been on field for eons. McCoy did that and Rodgers got the ball right back, and after a bit of wearing out our defense a bit more, he threw one of the most amazing touchdown passes ever. By the way, Damien Williams came right in, did really well, and LeSean McCoy did not see the field again.

Here was the major ding-dong thing Reid did that is just so aggravating. It was punting the ball away at close to midfield on a 4th-&-3 with about five minutes left in the game. We were down by only a touchdown. Even though the punt was downed inside the 5, when you do that you are giving the ball right back to Aaron Rodgers with a long field to just chew up the clock. And he did just that.

Andy Reid, you really really really really really really really really have to go for it there.

Haven't we said something like that before, oh, about 57 times? When your D-line just can't get that push to stop the run late, take a chance with your dynamite offense. Come on. Errrrrrrrrghh.

We knew this game against a strong Packers team would be tough. Matt Moore is not Aaron Rodgers. What was so nice was that Moore actually did wonderfully. He's taken this offense and done really well.
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Chiefs at Broncos - Week 7 - Record: 5-2

Mahomes refusing to get on the cart
and walking off the field after his injury

Certainly everyone in the Chiefs Kingdom is still holding their breath. They've been holding it until sometime in the middle of the 2nd quarter. We'll all be holding our breaths until we find out more about what happened. Early reports are that Patrick Mahomes had a dislocated kneecap. At least there was no ACL injury or anything, and so far they've determined there is no break. An MRI will determine if there is any ligament damage or anything else to be really concerned about.

The announcers were saying that Chiefs personnel appeared to be less worried than you'd think about his knee, that they feel he'll be okay. Still holding breaths though. I'd like to think that if the injury is not so bad they'll still keep him out for a few games just to be on the safe side. We're 5-2 so we have at least a little cushion in that category. If it is more serious, well, let's just ensure that he's good to go for future seasons.

It doesn't mean we can't still do well this season. Tonight we clobbered the Broncos, and the reason was our defense. They were saying on the television that the Chiefs were getting tired of all the discouraging remarks, all justified, really, watching them play against the Texans: "You're not good pursuers. You're not good block shedders. You're not good gap fillers. You're not good tacklers. You're not good pass rushers. You're not good."

They definitely took it personally.

The Chiefs registered nine sacks on the night, including a strip-sack fumble returned for a touchdown and an alert stop on a fake punt. So please -- please please please stop already with the criticism of Frank Clark. The guy was monster on defense when we got him, he was a monster when you didn't think he was, and he will be a monster for a while.

I have to add that it was really good to see Anthony Hitchens back in there. He made a world of difference in our run defense, and of course he got help from all of our front seven who again decided they needed to actually hit somebody out there.

One more thing because it is late. It's all good except for all of our breath-holding we're still doing.

Tyreek Hill.

When Matt Moore went in for Mahomes, he was taking some time to get a feel for being out there, not doing much. For quite a while he wasn't getting Tyreek into the mix. Sure enough when I noticed it, and when the announcers noticed it, well, finally Andy Reid noticed it. We started to see more of him. That sweet deep floating pass from Moore to Hill, oh my. It dropped into Hill's lap and he could just turn on the jets to score the TD.

Still holding my breath though...
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Texans at Chiefs - Week 6 - Record: 4-2

This is definitely not a Super Bowl team. Sorry but just having Patrick Mahomes and a planetload of receivers will not get it done.

I actually thought our defense would be better than they've played. Know what? This really feels like 2003, you know, awesome offense and not-great defense -- but ya know? It's worse this year. We started out 9-0 that year and I hate to say it, in 2003 our offense was just much more proficient. This year's Chiefs offense is really just Mahomes being ungodly on the football field.

But the key is that Mahomes simply cannot get anything going with an offensive line that is as miserable as this one. At least in 2003 we had a beast offensive line. This one is is garbage. Eric Fisher and Andrew Wylie are injured and their replacements are balsa wood. Our center is not able to do what Mitch Morse did last year, but then Morse was injured all the time so it didn't matter.

This game was a loss from the beginning. Here's what we all witnessed before Tyreek Hill's fantabulous touchdown grab:

1. Personal foul on Anthony Sherman on the kickoff.
2. Mahomes has to scurry around right after the snap, and tries to heave the ball with a defender all over him, smashing into his arm.
3. Swing pass to LeSean McCoy who stumbles down after catching it, little gain.
4. Big play to Darrel Williams who was freed on a pick play that Kelce may have made, at least the announcer insisted he did.
5. Swing pass for no gain, but now they call Kelce for an illegal pick.
6. Motion penalty, five yards back on us.
7. Misdirection pass to Hardman which was the first decent thing, 14 yard gain.
8. Holding call against an O-lineman. (In case you've missed count, that's four penalties against the Chiefs on eight plays of the game so far.)

This game was brutally ugly. Besides the fact that Mahomes doesn't have a good offensive line, his ankle has to be bothering him because his throws were awful. At least four or five times he threw the ball right at a defender -- most times they just dropped the INT.

I also have to add that the officiating had it in for us today. We got tons of defensive holding calls against us, and I'm sorry but I don't believe we were fairly treated. At one point Kelce was mugged at the line and the Texans intercepted Mahomes pass, but they made some ding-dong interpretation of pass interference not-counting for some reason. Interception stays. A couple plays later Bashaud Breeland was called for defensive holding yet he barely touched the guy.

Guh?

This is what happens when you form a super team. They've got to reel you back in. That's what everyone thought about this team, it's a super team! -- and for pretty good reason what with Mahomes et al.

Yeah, sorry, I know I get really melodramatic about these down times, but we just lost two home games in a row for the first time since 2013, and in both games it just looked like everything was against us. Not only the over-officiating, but our woeful line play on both sides of the ball is just killing us.

It is simple. We can stay in games from our exceptional skill-player game -- that's why both these past two games were reasonably close. But today the Texans took a page from the Colts playbook: Just run the ball against the Chiefs because they have no linebackers. Yes Anthony Hitchens is injured, but we were like melted butter out there. We are not pursuing with speed, we are not looking sharp at the point of attack -- and every team knows it. Just run the ball against the Chiefs. What makes this worse is that an opponent's steady running game burns clock and keeps Mahomes off the field.

I've thought a bendy defense may be just okay, but after looking at it the way the Colts and Texans have successfully seen it, I've realized that this defense is a crushingly real liability.

Yep, I've called for this for eons, no reason to stop now: we absolutely need a Ray Lewis guy in the middle of our defense, we really do. Unless Brett Veach can do something incredibly magical for this year, so we can have some confidence that we'll actually be competitive in the playoffs, I'm kind of hoping that notwithstanding that terrific stretch when we actually win games convincingly, we can finish with a record poor enough to get high enough in the draft to pick up that guy, and when he matures in a couple years hope we get a stronger assurance of Super Bowl potential when Mahomes is in his prime.

Next we've got a Thursday night game. At Denver, who over the past few years has lost the last several home games to the Chiefs in horrible ways. They will not be kind to us at all.
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Colts at Chiefs - Week 5 - Record: 4-1

I'm going to put this post in now because I'm so busy right now I simply won't have time to complete a full blog post later. Yes, I am doing work right now while I'm watching the game. And yes I am taking notes throughout.

Some notes right now as I'm watching this game in the middle of the 3rd quarter is that for one, this Chiefs team is driving me crazy. They get a penalty on almost every other play. At one point the announcer said the Chiefs are beating themselves. No kidding.

They also have no pass rush. This Colts quarterback is just not-that-special, yet he has all day back there. We've also lost Chris Jones to a groin injury -- he's out for the rest of the game. That doesn't help matters. We lost Anthony Hitchens earlier, that doesn't help our run defense, which has also been deplorable. Yes, they were who they thought they were -- a team with massively good offensive linemen who just pushed our tacklers all over the field.

On offense Mahomes was not sharp, missing his marks, just way more often than he does. Our O-line was not stalwart, making Mahomes run around too much. His receivers were dropping passes all night long. And on one play their linebacker rolled over Mahomes and wrecked his leg -- that's nice. I'm watching right now and Mahomes is walking off the field limping again, on a play that has Andrew Wylie on the turf. Down an O-lineman we can't afford to lose.

The only thing that, so far anyway, that has been keeping us in this one is the Colts are making a poor play here or committing a penalty there. We're also benefiting from close officiating calls that are going our way. Kelce almost fumbled the ball away but they ruled he did not have possession -- incomplete pass. Another pass appeared to bounce off Sherman's hands and intercepted, but on one camera angle it did look like it hit the turf -- incomplete pass.

There's a whole quarter left, so yeah. But everything I've written so far should bring great concern to the Kingdom. No pass rush and no run defense is just really disconcerting. I'm not as worried about the receivers -- not everyone has a great day every game... Mahomes et al will get it together.

But I hate to say it the Colts, with a team that has not-much-of-a-passing game and little in the defensive backfield -- I mean look at that, we have 10 points against a young, inexperienced Colts D-backfield -- the Colts looked much more disciplined, much more focused, much more fundamentally oriented to hit their marks. If this Chiefs team is going to the Super Bowl about which everyone is so certain, they've got to get it together.

And so... with about five minutes left we had a 4th-&-1 at midfield, down 16-10 and with a decimated O-line we run it and don't make it. Sure enough, the one who makes the tackle is, yep, just like the Chiefs luck -- Justin Houston. This game is a testament to the fact that if you have a reeeally good offensive line, you have a chance to win an NFL football game. If you don't have O-linemen you may not be able to protect your star quarterback enough to get him untracked in games you have no business losing.

Ugh.
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Chiefs at Lions - Week 4 - Record: 4-0

Four years ago we played the Lions in London. During warmups at the stadium where they played, I believe it was Wembley, the sun broke through the open areas just under the roof illuminating the field with the team in quite interesting ways. I'm sure you remember, the Chiefs started that year miserably, but then got it in gear right about the time they hammered Detroit in that game. The team went on to run the table the rest of the season, and then added their first playoff win in eons.

I like to find more meaning in these kinds of things than they really have, I'm sure. But, it keeps the mind fresh and flowing. It can't be denied, however, that these years right now are some of the best any NFL team can enjoy. A future Hall-of-Fame coach directing a team of players led by the top quarterback in the league. All of them gathered together by a smart intrepid strategist who's taking care of business.

Not going to spend much time getting into all the usual suspects, bendy defense, steady offense, you know -- except this was kind of crazy with all the turnovers. The 3rd quarter in particular -- they fumble, we fumble, back-and-forth, too aggravating. The catch-and-pitch from Kelce to McCoy though, how fun was that.

I will tell you that two things stood out related to how the NFL officiates these games. I have to start with last week, when Mecole Hardman was clearly lined up off-sides just before he caught his 72-yard TD pass. Huh. I like that they don't call that, whether it is our team or theirs, because it is just too inconsequential, but again, just why again did they call it on Dee Ford against the Patriots, you know the call, the one that was the one most significant instance that denied us yet again?

Today there was a similar situation, you know, the refs actually managing the game like they should. Think back to Derrick Johnson slamming into Titans QB Marcus Mariota in that playoff game two years ago. Mariota clearly fumbles but the refs miss it. They blow the whistle. This even as Justin Houston scoops up the ball with acres and acres of open field ahead of him.

This game? At the goal line the Lions gave the ball to their pounding back who fumbled it in the pile. Credit the refs for not blowing the whistle! After a second that seemed to last forever, players just lying around, Bashaud Breeland reached in there to pluck out the football just waiting to be recovered by someone, and he heads for the endzone. I've seen this happen now a few other times in other games this year -- Let the play continue. Don't blow your whistle too early.

Huh, how about that. 100-yard touchdown fumble recovery.

Will this kind of smart, thoughtful, justifiable officiating be there when we're in a playoff game?

As it is we toughed out a close one, which is great. We need Patrick to get smacked around a bit, know what it takes to pull it out when it is very close. Today he had no touchdown passes, and hey -- how about we cool the expectations that he'll have 8,000 yards passing and 70 touchdown passes this year? I know it is fun to dream, no worries, but don't forget this is the NFL. All we needed him to do was matriculate the ball down the field when we were down 30-27 with two minutes left -- and his clutch 16-yard run on 4th-&-8 was a terrific part of that last-ditch drive to win it.

On to a couple of home games for once, and we're on prime time next week.
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Ravens at Chiefs - Week 3 - Record: 3-0

It cannot be denied that it is fun watching this Chiefs offense work. It is a blast. We all revel to it, just about every time Mahomes and his weaponry is deployed. And with General Reid making the calls -- just that last play of the game when we had to get a first down to keep the Ravens from getting the ball back. With the score a narrow 33-28 he calls a screen pass to Darrel Williams who scorches to the marker to seal it. And really, the plays that Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman made.

It is, however, quite aggravating to watch our defense wilt. We actually did do amazingly just stopping them from getting 2-point conversions, really, in one sense that was the key to this win. The Ravens scored four touchdowns today against us, but only made one single conversion, a 1-point kick at that. And what about all those interceptions the Chiefs should have made? Is this promising of a swarming D-backfield or just an indication of our inability to finish?

There were a couple of highlights on defense though. How about that Emmanuel Ogbah? A couple of batted passes and a sack! Again, that may be our saving grace is our depth on the D-line.

Here is something that is one of the most ding-dong things about these players. Lamar Jackson thought he was going to run in for a touchdown, and started waving his arms around in that celebratory manner. Then he was tackled. Please. What is with the NFL that they don't have the leadership to just take care of this. I know there are a thousand other things to address in the NFL, in all of society, but this kind of stuff is just symptomatically ugly.

In this game the Ravens were testing Mahomes, alternating 3 up & 8 back, then blitzing him. Good competition, this game was closer than it looked, the Ravens are a good team. It'll get Mahomes more of the experience.

Still, the refs... on one drive early two roughing-the-passers were called and one should have been. This Matt Judon of the Ravens, what a punk. At least the NFL is doing something to kind of protect the quarterbacks here. And then there was that non-offensive-pass-interference call where the Ravens guy really did push off, but they're all saying it is so subjective. They even said things like "Does it have a real impact on the play?" Well, this one did! The Ravens had a 4th-and-5 and the QB threw up a duck. They got it inside the 5 and scored a touchdown on the next play.

Thing I noticed about Lamar Jackson was he ran too much and was not throwing to his WRs -- that just can't work. He is a phenomenal talent, but he's got to throw those tough passes. Oh yeah, we could see this team again and he'll be better then, for sure. In fact, they finally got the idea that they should give the ball to Mark Ingram, and just run all over us. Our run defense, ugh. We are indeed all concerned that we just cannot stop the run. Yes Ingram is an excellent player, but were you like me? Screaming over and over: "Where are our linebackers?" My voice is hoarse!

Otherwise, the Reid-Mahomes-and-company assault makes it fun to see all the record breaking stuff they put on the screen. One was something I did not know, that the 28 points they put up in one quarter last week against the Raiders was the most in any quarter in any NFL game since 1992.

Fun!
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Chiefs at Raiders - Week 2 - Record: 2-0

This was definitely a very satisfying game. It was the last game we'll play at the Oakland Coliseum, it'll be nice not to have to run around on the infield dirt. That is so annoying. Next time we are at the Raiders' stadium it'll be in Las Vegas. I'd heard they won't be allowing Raiders fans to tailgate, is that right? Wow. Nothing like being a Chiefs fans and enjoying that community at Arrowhead for hours before gametime.

Thing about it though is that the Raiders look like they've got a team that if it gels over the years, could be very good. They had three 1st round draft picks this year, they've been able to plug holes, they want Jon Gruden to build something there -- I'd be wary of this Raiders team in the future.

In fact, it looked really good for them to start this game. They shot out to a 10-0 lead while we were flat-footed. Could they have had it come together so soon?

Well, not. We went off on them with 28 unanswered in the 2nd quarter. But at the beginning of this game I was wondering about our ability to get a team to gel. Brett got a slew of fine players to fill out this roster, but the big question is: Are all the pieces gelling? Especially our defense! We were far too bendy in the first two Raiders drives of the 1st half, and we were bendy again at the beginning of the 2nd half.

The Raiders got all the way down to the 4 on one of those first drives, I think it was that first one, but a Breeland INT in the end zone proves you often win by just not breaking even if you bend. Key guys making key plays on the D throughout the game -- Clark, Kpassagnon, Fuller, Jones, Ogbah, Ward. I'm sure I've missed some, but there were times these guys stood out. Something else that is also very nice: our depth. The rotation of several D-linemen keeps them from being tired -- especially in light of our quick strike offense!

It was also nice to see our new D-coordinator make adjustments that worked. The Raiders only had a few meaningful plays in the second half, one of which was a 51-yard run by their fine back Josh Jacobs, but again we did the job of nullifying anything major. Our big test will come next week against a very good Ravens team.

Before we get to the offense, two things are worrisome. Our penalties and our run blocking. First, the penalties. Still ugh. We had a 72-yard Hardman TD catch nullified by a LeSean McCoy hold. Maybe it was good he had to do that to protect Mahomes, but still, you've got to just block better. Second, our O-line did a decent job of protecting Mahomes, but our run blocking was atrocious. We could not get Williams or McCoy untracked. That groin injury to Eric Fisher may have been a major factor.

Couple other notes about the Raiders. First of all they had a lot of injuries. I think that demoralized them as the game wore on. But it is interesting that Derek Carr yet again had a poor game against the Chiefs. I just watch no other football, I really don't, but I hear he actually does really well against the rest of the league! He was picked twice today, sacked three times.

Now to our explosive offense. Wow, all that could be said. Just that Andy Reid, for one, dials up plays like they're on a mega-rolodex. That 2nd quarter was phenomenal. We're down 10-0 then, BAMM.

Then, naturally, what more can you say about Patrick Mahomes. It was as if the Raiders made him just liiiitle bit angry. I mean, his reads, his decision-making, his timing, his touch, his arm strength -- I mean...

It goes without saying that we just have too many weapons. For one, I've always believed that Demarcus Robinson is tremendously underrated. Did you know he was drafted before Tyreek Hill? I have never seen him do anything except make Mahomes look good, snatching everything thrown to him, either in traffic or making his way open so very nicely. Today he had two long touchdown receptions.

Of course we have the extraordinarily reliable Travis Kelce -- he was his typical superman out there. His TD grab was bobbled but clutched firmly just before he rolled out of the end zone. Mecole Hardman had his first touchdown grab, just outrunning the D-backfield on a post route.

With that 2nd quarter display, I just wonder, why even run the ball at all? With this offense, setting up the run with the pass sounds like the way to go, but with Reid calling anything and everything in the cupboard and Mahomes whipping up some fine passing touchdowns... I mean.
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Chiefs at Jaguars - Week 1 - Record: 1-0

Remember that year not too long ago, I believe it was 2013, when the Chiefs did not have a single touchdown by a wide receiver the entire season?

Today we had a wide receiver touchdown on the third play of the game. In fact Sammy Watkins added two more on the day. Wow. Last year a lot of people took on the role of detractor in dismissing Watkins' contribution, but I believe it was obvious through the season he was severely underrated. This year, he's worked his butt off, and today did it pay off. While Mahomes' passes were studly, Watkins did everything getting open then separating for touchdowns.

The big question from all of us in the Kingdom was the defense, but it came through when it needed to, forcing a clutch turnover when the Jags were driving and the score was a relatively close 23-13. When Jacksonville scored on their second possession it looked like we were just barely missing making the plays, and things came together for us much better as the game wore on. Our push up front was stalwart, and we held uber-back Leonard Fournette to under 100 yards on the ground. Also of note was Kendall Fuller's fine coverage of Dede Westbrook, helping keep their offense in check. Yes I know Fuller missed a couple of swats he should have had, but he was just one of those who showed today that our defense does have promise this year.

One of the storylines, as it is often regrettably too much a storyline, was the injury situation. Their quarterback Nick Foles went out early with a shoulder injury, but his replacement brand spankin-new Gardner Minshew actually did reasonably well. Our major injury was to Tyreek Hill, who actually had to go to the hospital to have his collarbone examined. Turns out preliminary reports are that it won't need surgery, but he'll be out for a few weeks.

Then there was the ankle injury to Patrick Mahomes. Early word is it is just a sprain -- he did go out but came back in to play. This is why depth on a football team is so critical, and it is neat to see Brett really address that area. It is also why we put Chad Henne on the able-to-return form of IR so he can still come back this year just in case.

The Jags are a mid-level ability NFL team with very positive upside, and remember, they were in the AFC championship game just two years ago. I'd even heard Mitch say on the radio that the Jags defense even last year allowed the fewest points at home of any team.

Meanwhile we still put 40 points up with the highlight play of a wide receiver who I think will make people take notice.
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Chiefs 2019 Preview - Part X

I've been so busy I can't put in as many Chiefs preview posts as I'd like, but I thought I should make it an even ten posts to close out this off-season's thrilling anticipation of great Chiefs things this year. That's the key thing about this year, is that whatever happens with our Chiefs throughout the season, it has been a blast so far. Just marveling at what Patrick Mahomes is capable of. Just watching Brett Veach work his magic. Just seeing people like Frank Clark come over to give our defense a lift. Just knowing what Andy Reid is doing with the playbook. Just beholding the amazing wide receiver depth we have when we've never had it like this. Just delighting at how we can snatch up someone like LeSean McCoy to help in the backfield.

Sure there is the thought that McCoy isn't what he was, I mean, why did Buffalo let him go? Sure it could be because they want to develop other younger backs, while we're in it to win it this year. But that's just the thing. It has been fun to enjoy just the invigorating nature of this Chiefs off-season knowing what we've got, but after Saturday I know I've got to temper all of that and be real.

This is the NFL.

Teams are filled with really good players and they themselves have good game plans and good coaching and every year there is always some team that surprises everyone, much of it simply because they got the right combination and they've set themselves up to have good things happen for them on the field. I'm sure most Chiefs fans are convinced we'll win every game 45-7, but as I wrote last time, that would not be good as much as we slobber for that. Look for many more 31-28 nail-biters, even losses by those kinds of scores -- and really, those are good things.

I even happened upon an Arrowhead Pride link to an ESPN playoff predictor that had the Chiefs not even making the playoffs. Huh? Are you kidding me? But that's cool. Tempers things a bit so we're not so crushed when the Chiefs lose a game. I am indeed enthralled by all the talk about how Mahomes will be the greatest ever, but hey, let the kid go out and do his thing and appreciate all-things Chiefs whatever happens. Let's have as much fun as he is just slingin' it and competing against the big boys just having fun. Let's even see if we're up to the challenge of late season battles when we're 8-5 and angling to position ourselves for the playoffs. Or as I always have to say to myself...

Embrace the competition.

Yeah I hope Mahomes throws 58 touchdown passes. Yeah I hope the defense returns 17 turnovers for touchdowns. Yeah I hope LeSean McCoy still has it, and if he does, then -- damn... because in his prime he was very good.

So yeah, time to have as much fun as we've had this off-season by actually seeing it all happen on the field.

Chiefs Kingdom!!!
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Chiefs 2019 Preview - Part IX

Today I violently violated my sports celibacy policy and peeked at the brand spankin' new Chiefs 53-man roster in preparation for Sunday's opener against the Jaguars. Thought I'd pound out a brief preview post at this point. I'd contribute much more but I have a full-time job and work dutifully as a high school athletics team head coach. I also have a family and church ministry. But the Chiefs are important! So on this day-off I'm laboring away on Labor Day weekend to offer up a few takes at this point.

Right now everyone seems to be worried about our cornerback situation. Yeah, I'm sure our cover guys can implode over the course of the season, that can happen to any team. But remember a few things.

It is hard to get good cover guys anywhere. I'd say that in light of that truth, Brett has done wonderfully working hard to address this area. We do have skilled guys there, especially in Breeland, Fuller, Claiborne, and Ward, and some have suggested that our pass coverage was so weak last year because of Bob Sutton's complicated system that did not take advantage of those skills. Maybe Steve Spagnuolo's idea of letting players be players will get these guys to show what they've got this year.

We've also upgraded our safety situation, especially with Tyrann Mathieu now the anchor, a bright Juan Thornhill growing into it, and tough Armani Watts now healthy after showing promise last year. Remember, last year Eric Berry was just never there, and without that strength at safety it makes any corner's job harder.

The main thing is that we do have that one component that makes any defensive lapses bearable. You know what it is.

Patrick Mahomes.

Having a total stud at the quarterback position makes up for a lot of things. We have a player at a position that gets a team the most return on the talent that is there, really. There is no question that if our defense can be serviceable -- it doesn't have to be terrific, just serviceable -- then we'll be fine. In fact, it may sound twisted, but there is something to be said for winning more than a few games by scores of 45-36...

It keeps Mahomes and the offense motivated and working hard. Sorry, nothing against them and their already fine desire and drive to excel, but even the best can suffer from debilitating ennui if we win every game 45-7.

Now yes, it only takes one ding-dong thing to happen to ruin a whole season in a close playoff game. But really, what would be different? We've lost eight straight playoff games decided by a touchdown or less. Just not going to worry about that right now.

The more telling stats: the 2018 Chiefs were the first team ever to score at least 26 points in every single game of the season. When you look at that, really, every single game, that's amazing. The lowest point total, by the way, was 26 they had against Arizona. The team also put up the third highest point total in NFL history. Only the '07 Patriots and '13 Broncos had more. And how about this. From 2014 to 2018, the Chiefs in the regular season had defeated the eventual Super Bowl participants, both of them, in either the year before or the year after. Last year in those two games they came within a scant touchdown of doing it again -- each time barely losing to the Patriots and the Rams.

No worries at all with this team.

No matter all the wailing about our defensive backfield, I can't believe there isn't a Chiefs fan who isn't thrilled with how much fun this season is shaping up to be.
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The Tyreek Hill Ordeal

In cleaning out some cabinets I came across a file of hard copy posts I'd made from my ministry blog. In the very first line of this particular post was, "...how much I feel it when I see people so blatantly deceived..." When I read those words I thought to myself, "Hmm, that was twelve years ago. Twelve years isn't enough time for people to figure out how to know the truth about things?"

Yeah, silly, because people have allowed themselves to be deceived for millennia. Twelve years won't cure the human condition. Jesus Christ can, offering an individual forgiveness for the deceitfulness that has reigned in each of our hearts, but that's another story.

After Tyreek Hill was given a clean slate by the NFL yesterday, I went ahead and followed some threads on the web, and sure enough, as I surmised, I saw all kinds of deceptive language thrown about. There were guys at the mainline sports sites spewing all sorts of deprecatory garbage about Hill. One of the worst culprits was the paper of record in Kansas City, The Star, the writers of which seemed to be hellbent on protecting its reputation when before it had so thoroughly shredded Hill the biggest new aye-hole it could.

It is nothing new, then, that people behave in ways that are the most profitable, and really, let's face it, news organizations thrive on drama and controversy. Think The New York Times and all of its subsidiaries -- you know, NBC, CNN, The Washington Post -- think they don't like Donald Trump? No, they love him, because shredding him a thousand aye-holes a day sells their copy.

In going through much of the other remarks shared on the web I came across an interesting meme supposedly put out by Clark Hunt's daughter. She'd included a link to a story from Medium, here it is. It is terrific, and put together, apparently by the Chiefs Kingdom Editorial Board, which appears to be an independent journalistic enterprise interested in Chiefs things. Again, in the interest of truth, I'm not sure about some of the attribution, but I want to get it right and have tried to.

Anyway, there is the implicit idea that Hunt's daughter was responding to criticism of her father, the owner of the Chiefs, mostly from those loud brazen sports blappers from prominent sports sites who think they could influence the NFL to mete out the worst punishment possible, and much of the vitriol has been directed at Hunt: "How could you allow such a miscreant to be on the Chiefs?!" -- you know. The question is, have those so-called journalists really looked into what's been happening with Hill? Have they really wanted to know the truth?

If you really look into the entire matter, it appears the truth is that Hill's only crime was that he got involved in the Crystal Espinal family to begin with. Was Hill a fool for letting himself get in too deep with this girl and her family? Unquestionably. Did Hill do abusive things to her in some form or another out of his frustration? It appears that may have happened, but the truth about that is, what is our role in assessing that?

In my last post I'd mentioned that it'd be best for their boy, and wow, apparently they now have twins, if Hill and Espinal were happily married. This was not a remark made to imply that Hill and Espinal must take care of business at the end of the shotgun. If the Medium story is true, the best thing for Hill is that he remain separated from a woman who has been plainly exploiting him and his income-earning capacity.

My real point in all of this is they really should never have been together in the first place. Really, how many influential pundits are making mention of the fact that the two never should have been sleeping together to begin with? From what I've seen that number is a big zero. And yet we let these things slide because so many professional athletes shack up with gals when they're not married, and yet, I thought we were all supposed to be into protecting people's sexuality and integrity and all that? You could see the difficulties that arise from abuse of this principle all over the Medium story.

So what is best for the boy, and his new siblings the twins? That should have been decided years ago, and helped along by powerful societal influences who do actually promote the value of marriage and family and don't just pathetically virtue signal all the time. But for now? We've all sadly conceded that some child services office will be deciding that, and yet I've got the idea that there is still tremendous turmoil about who gets what regarding the child custody and care arrangements.

There is truth about so many other things that require us to look deep within ourselves to see if we can actually address it. Some will legitimately call out us Chiefs fans for richly supporting a sport that causes men to have such debilitating injuries. I totally understand that. Or even more telling is by our patronage of such a sport we enable the behavior we so deplore among professional athletes. Are women best served in this environment? What about Crystal Espinal's alleged motives for seeking a relationship with Hill?

On the other hand, can we enjoy this fun diversion called pro football and expect the people in it to conduct themselves with some measure of decorum? Do we expect them to be choirboys and girls and if they aren't at what point do we cross the line of censure without being hypocrites? At what point do we say "Yeah!" or "Nah!" to a given behavior and it simply becomes a way for us to show we're better than someone else? At what point do we realize that talking about it so much, so many of us now able to rage through the cybersphere, is just a legitimate way to get an innate but often unseemly gratification, fulfilling our need to feel like we're being heard in a community no matter how idiotic our statements may be?

Is there truth in these things?

Most definitely.

It's just, can we see them, and confront them...?

If only because we do want to genuinely love our neighbor whether it is a pro football star or a Twitter follower?...
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Chiefs 2019 Preview - Part VIII

So the NFL finally made its decision about Tyreek Hill, and -- wow -- they finally made the right decision.

No suspension.

The NFL concluded that they simply could not bring a player misconduct charge against Tyreek Hill, and in the little that I'd seen from fair-minded people it was overwhelming: Because they had nothing on him, there should be no penalty, none at all. I'd even heard that a police report concluded that Hill did nothing injurious to his son. Did he sound like a jerk in phone conversation with the boy's mother? Of course he did. But that isn't a crime. The NFL could have decided this was detrimental to the way they want NFL players to behave, I understand.

The NFL took the high road, however. A very nice kudos to them for once.

They did very justifiably express concern and want the utmost consideration for Tyreek's son. Here's the thing, no one isn't concerned about that. That's the main priority. On the other hand, yanking Tyreek's source of income for no reason other than to make a show of authority doesn't help the boy. The boy's welfare is best served if Tyreek and mother were healthy, preferably happily married, and the child services office could see that and the boy's life situation would be much better resolved. We should all keep praying for that.

The real problem, though, is all that prominent sports pundits will write and and sports commentators will say. And yes, there will simply be too many who will virtue signal out of their rear ends, you know, "Oh those Chiefs are evil and misogynist and -- have a history..." yeah, that's a real good one. Indeed one of the first news reports I saw was from supposedly objective CBS news, and the headline of the story was, "NFL Shockingly Decides Not to Suspend..."

Um, excuse me? 

"Shockingly"???

That's the kind of opinionated barf that gets so many steamed at the mainline news organizations. I'm convinced much of this is because these people simply get very nervous when a podunk little Midwest non-large-market-media-darling team starts to get as good as the Chiefs are getting. Cuts into the big revenues they could get if it were a Cowboys or Giants or Patriots. Oh how much they'd love to have Patrick Mahomes on one of those teams.

Now with Hill ready to go full speed for the duration, it makes them more nervous.

I was also very touched by the response from Hill. He wrote a lengthy appreciation for all he has and all he's been given by the Chiefs and the NFL. Sure it could all be a snow-job, and further information could come forth that would justify some punitive action. But for now, it appears he's aware of the magnitude of things and wants to do right.

I'd also thought of this, however. Could the Chiefs think about trading him, if they do indeed see that someone like Mecole Hardman is going to be pretty danged good? I really hope they don't. Hardman is still very new and raw, and Hill is a proven contributor.

As it is it is tons of fun to see how deep we are at wide receiver. It is just as much fun to see how deep we are in areas like defensive backfield. I'm hearing all kinds of great things about the leadership and skill Tyrann Mathieu, for one, is bringing to the table, and how much everyone is excited about the more sophisticated approach to the defense Steve Spagnuolo has brought.

There is definitely much to be excited about this off-season, and while we always know there can be stupid in-season (or worse, post-season) things that can happen, right now this is definitely one of the funnest off-season times ever for Chiefs fans.

Seeing Tyreek Hill summarily exonerated today is certainly one of the best things of all.
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Chiefs 2019 Preview - Part VII

Well how about that.

Another red jersey team won a big-4 professional sports team championship.

Last night the Toronto Raptors concluded a 4-2 NBA Finals run against the dynastic Golden State Warriors, sure enough wearing their bright red jerseys. They almost looked like the home team Chiefs out there. This coupled with the Washington Capitals win on the NHL hockey ice last year, and we've got a string of red jersey champions going.

The one for the Chiefs is coming up next!

It is quite obvious the excitement for Chiefs success this season is the most pronounced as it ever has been, and it isn't just because we wear red too. The Raptors demonstrated in this series that they were a very good team. Kawhi Leonard was unstoppable. Their two guards shot the lights out. They also had the length and size in the paint to disrupt the Warriors vaunted passing game.

It looks just as bright for the Chiefs this season. No one can deny that the Chiefs have assembled a very good team, and while anything can happen to a professional sports team in any given game, the likelihood you'll be successful comes with having the goods to begin with. This is why even with properly tempered expectations -- easy, Chiefs fans, easy -- there is no reason we shouldn't be as optimistic as we are.

As for these slow days of early summer, things are indeed looking good, here in recent OTA and minicamp activity. My work colleague came in and shared that the Chiefs are taking care of business, locking up everyone they need to ensure there are no meddlesome contract issues. I did see that they inked kicker Harrison Butker for five years, great move. He is so good he could have slipped away after next year -- why worry about it? Let's keep him. I do know they haven't inked Chris Jones to that hefty long-term deal, but we're all confident Brett will get that done soon.

The main concern, though, is again, the Tyreek Hill situation. He is still prohibited from engaging in any Chiefs activities, and yet the NFL and the Chiefs have got to make a decision soon about his status. Official training camp is just around the corner, and it is imperative Hill be out there for that.

What is so aggravating is that so many things are coming out that indicate that, really, there is no reason to further keep him off the practice field, and no justification for even any penalty. Since the last time we bantered about all of this, it was revealed that not only has the case been closed for some time now, but the police have stated they firmly believe Hill did not injure his child. That is quite an admission. There has also been evidence that Hill's girlfriend is a bit unbalanced, and yeah, while we all wonder why he has still had any relationship with her, having a crazy girlfriend is not a crime. And yes, she is the mother of his child, so the priority here is to see that they are getting the help they need to manage their lives and especially the life of their boy.

There is word that the NFL and the Chiefs are holding out because they want to see what the child services office concludes to resolve their situation, yet I can't help but think of the other reason they are refraining from taking care of business and confidently proclaiming to all that there really is no reason to keep Hill from playing football with the Chiefs this year. It is simply that

The TMZ-presided court of public opinion is one massively ugly bastard.

Really, please. Tell me I'm wrong about this, really. The NFL and the Chiefs are so afraid that if they were to allow Hill on the practice field -- no penalty, no suspension, no anything -- they fear there'll be some number of ding-dong Keith Olbermann-types who'll summarily screech so loudly about how misogynist or insensitive or dismissive or outright criminal the NFL or the Chiefs are, that they believe they may lose some substantial measure of support. Especially because the Chiefs do not have the protections of a big-market, media-darling team, they feel susceptible to the consequences of these rabid virtue signaling pundits seducing so many to believe the Chiefs organization is somehow more evil than anyone else.

For every day the NFL and the Chiefs do not get their top personnel up on that podium to make the announcement regarding their plans for Tyreek and the truth that backs their actions -- extraordinarily confident because again there is nothing he's done for which they can justifiably punish him (again again, sounding like a creep in a phone conversation is simply not a crime) -- for every day they do not stand by Hill, it is another day you wonder how much courage they have to stand up for what is right and true. If they do end up giving him some penalty -- or worse, dismissing him from the team -- it will be very sad, because it will prove that they've bent over backwards to appease those few in the jeering crowd.

We'll see. Still waiting...
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Chiefs 2019 Preview - Part VI

Couple of quick hits.

Let's get the ugly out of the way first. The Tyreek Hill situation is still in a holding pattern, with only the fact that at this moment Hill is not involved in any Chiefs activities. In the meantime everyone with an interest in the Chiefs or the American professional football world is spitting up their thoughts about it all.

I've seen the ghastliest tomes about how evil the Chiefs are for this. Yes, pundits who think they have an ounce of intelligence or integrity are blaming the Chiefs. Please. How many NFL teams have a few miscreants on them, individuals who'd be just as easily skewered by the court of public opinion if their gruesome peccadillos were put on full display. I'd say, ohhh, every team.

This is not in any way to excuse anything Hill has done or may have done. What we know he has done? Had a viciously nasty conversation with his girlfriend recorded by someone then broadcast by some television station. What may he have done? Wounded his small child, yes, we're all aware of that. But the fact is we don't know that.

These idiot sportswriters spout about how the Chiefs or whoever are so blameworthy when, here's the bottom line: If you commit a crime you should go to prison. The investigators in the Hill incident simply do not have enough evidence to prosecute, so then what? The NFL is not the government. It is an entertainment enterprise seeking to put at least slightly respectable men on a field to throw a ball around. I hear so often how "The NFL must do this" or "The NFL must do that." How about prosecutors just do their jobs, and if there is enough evidence, then let a jury of one's peers decide? Not you, not me, not some bozo who somehow gets to have his brainless plap put on the web, not TMZ, not some NFL PR expert. Let's let presumption of innocence prevail, something we all value.

To protect its image, really, the NFL may do whatever it wants to with Hill. They certainly should suspend him for some time, they could even ban him from the league for life. That's their full prerogative. My preference is that they suspend him and have him make firm commitments to counseling and something measurably positive for him, the mother, and the boy. Give him a chance to demonstrate he can be a decent person and maintain his livelihood in pro football.

Just don't be unjust. Just don't force the Chiefs to cut him so they can be made to look holier-than-any-other-NFL-franchise then watch him zip off to sign with someone else, like what happened with Kareem Hunt. That's just wrong, and for all that I loathe about the NFL, it is looking like they may move towards doing something more reasonable with Hill.

Meanwhile, I haven't put in a post about the draft picks we got. As I'd already noted with a distinctive measure of pessimism, the instant the Chiefs selected Mecole Hardman with their first pick we all knew it was insurance in case the Hill predicament eventually goes really sideways.

By far our best pickup, though, is Juan Thornhill, who was a top-50 prospect dropping to us at 63. He is that fine true-free safety we need to fill the void left by Eric Berry.

Sure enough, as much as I don't want to see this stuff (my fears about an excruciatingly disappointing 1998 rerun) it seems everyone and his uncle are putting the Chiefs at the top of their power rankings. The latest was uber-NFL'er Peter King of SI ranking the Chiefs the best. Yes, I do keep my expectations in check, very much so. ::Pant - pant - pant ...::

But yeah. I can't deny that the excitement of this season is quite enjoyable. It isn't just the anticipation to see what Patrick Mahomes does this year, but it is the enthusiasm over the authentic hopes for a blistering defense that has been completely rebuilt, top-to-bottom. The "rebuilding" part can be scary, but Brett Veach has really done some heavy lifting and brought in some quality players -- Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark the headliners. It is interesting that this Chiefs defense looks absolutely nothing like it did just two years ago.

The question is, can they gel? That is the key for any NFL team, you've really got to have guys who've worked together for a bit and have the system down. I'd like to think that being the pros that they are, and under the fine coaching led by Andy Reid and our new very respected D-coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, we should be okay.

Here's to more fun Chiefs preview posts!
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Chiefs 2019 Preview - Part V

Just a couple days ago I got to write another happy blog post about our delightfully positive Chiefs future.

Now I've got to get a bit more into the therapy. I don't feel real good about what I'd been hearing about this Tyreek Hill situation. My work colleague who knows I like the Chiefs came in and told me yesterday that official government people said they didn't have enough to do anything to Tyreek for child abuse. ::Whew:: breathe a sigh of relief.

I didn't know anything about this announcement because as you know I go out of my way to avoid looking at too much Chiefs stuff -- it is just too gut wrenching far too often. Even the Frank Clark acquisition had me feeling that euphoria two days ago, yet yesterday feeling a bit of dejection thinking about when we picked up Chester McGlockton in 1998 after a 13-3 season. I thought "We're going to go undefeated now!" Sure enough we started out splendidly, then slammed into a wall. ::Sigh:: endure more ponderment. Yeah, this year feels different, but I know I can't get too excited. This is the NFL. Right now they're all drafting, building their teams for the future, and the Chiefs haven't got a 1st round pick.

Anyway, after hearing this fine Tyreek Hill quasi-exoneration news, I peeked around today at bit at Chiefs stuff and saw that some television station released a recorded phone conversation between Tyreek and his girl (wife? fiancee?) -- the mother of his 3-year-old boy. The conversation is not flattering, full of vulgarities and vitriol about what happened to the boy and what kind of discipline is or isn't employed.

Apparently the investigators couldn't charge anyone with a crime because they just weren't sure whether Tyreek or his girl did wrong here. Thing is, here we go again with the TMZ-like news organization splashing the "evidence" in everyone's faces so Tyreek may be found guilty in the court of public opinion. It is ugly, just ugly.

I honestly don't think he is long for the Chiefs. I really hope I'm wrong and this is different, but I really feel we're watching yet another Kareem Hunt episode unfold before us, yet again putting the hurt on our team. And yet again I wonder: if what Tyreek Hill was so bad that he's dismissed from the team, will it be so bad that he shouldn't be in pro football again? If so that's perfectly just. Legitimate child abusers should be in prison. Or if what he did isn't so bad, or merely that he can't justifiably be prosecuted even if he's not looking so great here, why can't he just be cool on the Chiefs without all the horrific aspersions blasted from these TMZ operations?

Instead I still wonder: will all this result in yet another fine player being dismissed from the team, then being suspended for a few games by the NFL, then being allowed to sign with some other team? This is what is so unjust. This is just part of the stultifying aggravation the Chiefs Kingdom has all the time with the NFL and whatever other powers that make these kinds of things happen.

The ironically crazy thing is that another bit of nifty Chiefs news came out just now: Patrick Mahomes is the newest coverboy of Madden. This is not surprising, but everyone is naturally thinking about how jinxable that honor is. I don't believe any of that hokum. I do however know how much the NFL et al do do things that derail sustained Chiefs success. I've written tons about it. And I'm not just picking on the NFL. I pick on the Chiefs themselves just as much, or any guilty party even if it's Tyreek, or Kareem, or even Clark.

In fact, just one more thing -- we do pick in the 2nd round tomorrow. I've heard whispers that we're going after one of those fine wide receivers that I'm told could easily drop into our laps. I can't say I don't wonder about why exactly they'd be considering doing that. Hmm.

The extraordinarily extended Chiefs 2019 Preview -- just so much to get into this year.
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Chiefs 2019 Preview - Part IV

Brett Veach is again making major waves in the Chiefs Kingdom. You can't help but love this guy.

We were stuck there at Pick No. 29 in this year's draft, and what little I've seen it's all, "Will that guy still be there? With this other guy still be there?" Veach has done his due diligence with free agency, picking up critical components of a revamped defense so he's free to take the best player available. Awesome stuff.

Well, today, two days before the first day of the draft, Veach went ahead and snatched the best player available. He traded that No. 1 pick and next year's No. 2 to the Seahawks for standout defensive end Frank Clark.

One of the reasons people have criticized the move is that Clark has a history. Oh wow, is this touchy, what with the Kareem Hunt affair and the still unresolved Tyreek Hill situation. There is so much to all of this, but here's how I look at it.

I look at what Al Davis did. Yes, the reviled Oakland Raiders Al Davis. I'm not even saying any of these Chiefs players are bad in some way, simply because I don't know them -- I'm only hearing it from others. But when Al Davis was in his prime, you know, late 70s, early 80s, he found diamonds in the rough who were, well, very rough. Many Raiders players had reputations, and not as choir boys.

But they were the fiercest competitors who played for a team that embraced them.

And they won three Super Bowls from 1976 to 1983.

I'm all for the Chiefs organization being so respected from top to bottom that supposed rebels can find home and family here. I'm thrilled like crazy to see Brett Veach doing the Al Davis thing, welcoming these guys into the glory of a fine organization and sharing with them how meaningful Kingdom pride is.

I know many are worried we're not going to get that first-round cornerback we need. Eh. I kind of like what we've got in Kendall Fuller, Bashaud Breeland, and Charvarius Ward. We've been retooling that front four to mold new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's 4-3 and make those D-backs' jobs a bit easier.

Not to mention, please, let's give our new kids, now with some fine experience under their belts, a chance to shine. Derrick Nnadi worked his way into a starter last year. Armani Watts was playing somewhat regularly before he was hurt. Dorian O'Daniel showed amazing skill on a number of stops. And nothing has shown that Breeland Speaks can't continue to improve and ultimately be a real gamer.

It was imperative this off-season that Veach do some major, and we all know, major retooling -- this defense will look nothing like it did last year.

The Frank Clark acquisition means yet another extended preview post for a team that Brett Veach at least believes can win it all this year. It is all extraordinarily fun right now, that is for sure.
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Chiefs 2019 Preview - Part III

Since free agency signings have started in full I thought it'd be worth a good, wholesome, positive post. I do acknowledge that too often I speak of the most troubling aspects of our prospects, but I promise, nothing in this post about the daft NFL, past playoff horrors, or the bane that is free agency on principle.

The irony is that we're looking good with free agency so far this year, and what a joy it is to have Brett Veach in there taking care of business. The future is now, and the best news so far is we snapped up premier safety Tyrann Mathieu to shore up the defense. I was really surprised, not even knowing this guy was available in the mix. I mean I'd heard rumblings of Landon Collins, Earl Thomas, and a handful of other players, but this pick-up -- extraordinarily sweet.

Just a couple days ago we got Carlos Hyde, and wow, that was a very nice surprise too. I'd known he'd been the main back for the 49ers for a while, and it seemed like Veach was fastidiously looking around at the release wire and thrilled to see Hyde there, he jumped all over that. I really like what we've got at running back, especially looking for more good things from Darrel Williams. Now with Hyde in the mix we should be set.

Very sad to see Justin Houston go. It'd be nice if the Chiefs could get him back for way less money, but it's likely another team will take him. Here's to seeing if we can get something good for Dee Ford, or if not to see if Ford can find his place in our new defense. It'll be even better to see Veach masterfully fill out that defense in the draft.

It is awesome to watch Veach do his thing up there.
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